EMT445 Curriculum Method 1: Design and Technology

How do we develop effective and safe units of work?

Safety/Risk assessment and management
When compared with other disciplines, technology courses present far greater risks to the
safety of teachers and students, as there is some physical danger inherent in virtually all of
them. Given this, planning to work safely is a critical responsibility of the technology teacher.

You will find in some schools that the approach to safety is quite lax, and in others it is
seemingly extreme. The ideal suggested is to consider meaningfully, carefully, and
consistently in an ongoing manner, the safety of teachers and students be such that all in the
class can work safely and effectively.

There are three processes/tools for working safely that are increasingly being used by
schools:

Risk Management,
Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS), and
Safe Operating Procedures (SOP).

It is important that as you plan your lessons, you carefully consider the safety of your
students and yourself for all activities that are to be undertaken. To do this you need to assess
the risks of all activities, and put controls in place to ideally eliminate or manage any risk to
an acceptable level. Examples of the kind of activities that need to have risks assessed include
those that involve animal and/or chemical handling, the use of tools and other equipment
such as tractors, powered saws, welders, sewing machines, ovens, stoves, knives and other
utensils. Food safety/hygiene is another aspect of class preparation and activity that needs to
be a part of these considerations. On top of these more obvious areas there is the general
classroom environment, the movement of teacher and student within the range of teaching
spaces and approaches to management in different classroom tasks from demonstrations,
whole class activities, to individual student work and group work. In addition, we need to
include risk assessment when planning outdoor activities and particuarly excursions away
from the school itself.

Managing risk
The NSW government code of pratice material can be found
at www.safework.nsw.gov.au. The relevant documents at this site are:
"A Risk Management Approach - tip sheet two";

"Managing hazardous manual tasks in your workplace";

"How to manage work health and safety risks: Code of Practice";

Advice Sheet 3: "Safe Work procedures". This is useful as a key part of the legislative
aspects of practice.
 Risk management and safety

WorkCover NSW. (n.d.). !HAZPAK; Making your workplace safer, A practical guide to
basic risk management. p. 9

To help understand the risk management process, and how this matrix is designed to be used,
read and consider one or both of the following documents.

Read
Safe Work Australia. (2011). How to manage health and safety risks: Code of practice. - this is
one of the documents referred to above.

Having read this guide you will note that there are four steps to managing risk:

1. Identifying hazards (practices or procedures that have potential to harm someone)

2. Assessing the level of risk that the hazards present in terms of likelihood and harm
3. Eliminating or controlling the hazards
4. Monitoring ongoing checking of hazards and effectiveness of the controls
Each of these steps will be most important to undertake while you are planning any unit of work.

Now that you should have made yourself familiar to the risk management process, you may
be asking the following types of questions:

How do I eliminate or control the identified hazards?

How are decisions recorded?
To respond to the first question, and expanding on Step 3 above, it is important to note that
there are four ways to control hazards:
1. Eliminate the hazard: this is the most effective way to make things safer. You should always
try to do this by replacing the process or practice with a safe one, or by removing it from the
project or activity to be undertaken.
2. Change equipment or materials: if the hazard cannot be eliminated, it may be necessary to
redesign the equipment or processes. For example, using exhaust fans will mean people are
less likely to be affected by welding or chemical fumes.
3. Change work methods: if the hazard cannot be eliminated or changed, work practices may
need to be reviewed and appropriate work procedures developed.
4. Use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): PPE is the least effective way of dealing with
hazards. If possible, use PPE only until a better way of doing things can be found.

All of these options will need to be considered, and then recorded (to answer the second
question) as you develop a Safe Work Method Statement for each procedure that your
students will undertake as a part of their projects and/or class activity.

The following shows an example of a risk analysis for a unit in a Design and Technology
classroom where the design brief involved use of metals and timber in the project. There are
many examples of how this can be organised and planned. This example shows one way. In a
kitchen environment or a textiles environment it may look quite different. The concept
however is the same i.e. identify the key tools, materials and equipment, assess the risks and
plan how to eliminate or reduce risks through management, training and protection.

Name of Year 11 Design Date:

Class/Teacher Technology Class
responsible for
compliance with
SWMS:
Company name: Design School Workplace
location:
High risk job Industrial Work Completion of Yes N/A (n/a should
description environment Confined Space be selected when not
Working with/in proximity Entry Permit? working in a confined space.
to plant and equipment
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) required to complete the job

Gloves Face mask Eye Welding Appropriate Hearing Protective

protection mask footwear
What are the tasks involved? What are the hazards and risks?
Describe the steps required to Against each step list the
perform the task in the sequence potential hazards that could
they are carried out. cause injury/damage when the
task step is performed.
protection clothing
How will hazards and risks
be controlled?
List the control measure
required to eliminate or
minimise the risk of injury
arising from the identified
 hazard, see Contractor
Hazard identification and
Control Table.
Stanley / Scalpel blades: Used Cuts to hands Cutting mats/Steel straight
for early modelling Blades breaking edges provided
Student risk, Teacher risk Blood Eye protection
Sharps disposal bin
Chemical Exposure Spills MSDS provided, Spill clean
Student risk, Teacher risk Vapours up kits.
Skin/clothes contact Work to be performed in
extracted environment.
Correct PPE face mask,
gloves, apron, fume face
mask.
Bandsaw Cuts Safety training
Student risk, Teacher risk Blade break Correct PPE eye protection,
hearing protection
Machine safe operating
procedure
Regular machine
maintenance
Guards correctly positioned
for cut depth
Adequate space for operator
Hair back, ties/loose
clothing removed
What are the tasks involved? What are the hazards and risks? How will hazards and risks
Describe the steps required to Against each step list the be controlled?
perform the task in the sequence potential hazards that could List the control measure
they are carried out. cause injury/damage when the required to eliminate or
task step is performed. minimise the risk of injury
arising from the identified
hazard, see Contractor
Hazard identification and
Control Table.
Wood/metal lathe Entanglement Safety training
Student risk, Teacher risk Hot swarf Correct PPE
Dust Machine safe operating
procedure
Dust extraction
Hair back, ties/loose
clothing removed
Jointer Dust/chips Safety training
Teacher risk Correct PPE eye protection,
hearing protection
Hair back, ties/loose
clothing removed
Noise Machine safe operating
Finger loss procedure
Guard in place
 Dust extraction
Push block
Thicknesser Dust/chips Safety training
Student risk/Teacher risk Noise Machine safe operating
procedure
Eye protection, hearing
protection
Dust extraction
Sign off Name Signature Date
I have provided site-specific risk controls to manage the hazards identified above and will comply
with the controls listed above.
Teacher:

I understand the risk controls listed above to be implemented to manage the identified hazards
associated with the works to be undertaken.
Workplace Manager
and/or Management
OHS Nominee

SWMS are becoming increasingly common in both industry and school environments. They
are a useful tool for identifying and communicating hazards and controls and the ability to
develop these is a must for technology teachers. Part of the reason that an SWMS can be
effective is because procedures are broken down into steps allowing them to be examined
individually in terms of risk and appropriate controls. Determining appropriate controls
depends on the assessment of the level of potential harm and its likelihood, part of the risk
management processes that were highlighted earlier.
For those areas of higher risk in the SWMS is a must that we develop such statements.

As you can see, the below SWMS proforma enables clear documentation of procedures, their
potential dangers/hazards, and the controls which you will employ to enable projects to be
completed safely. Columns to record risk ratings prior to and post controls being
implemented have also been included.

Safe Work Method Statement

Project name: Equipment: Risk assessor:

Bookend (Technology
Mandatory)
Material: 90 x 19 (pine,
maple or similar)
Steel rule; Try square; Marking gauge; Approval: Yes/ No Name:
Chisel; Mallet; Claw hammer; nail punch;
Bench hook; Tenon saw, Disc sander
Date:_________________ No:_____

Procedure (in steps): Possible Hazards: Initial risk Safety Control: Final risk
rating rating
1. Check that timber end is
square, then measure and
mark a square line
125mm from that end.
Repeat for second piece.
2. Using a bench hook to
support the timber, using
your thumb or index
finger as a guide, cut
through the timber on the
waste side of the line.
Repeat with second piece
of timber.
3. Mark your designed
decorative shape on one
end of each piece of
timber, then cut through
the timber on the waste
side of the line. Repeat
with second piece of
timber.
4. Trim if required on disc
sander
5. Using a marking gauge,
mark a parallel line on the
face side of one piece of
timber, 19mm from the
square end. Using a try
square, mark with a pencil
9.5mm down each edge
from the face side. Mark a
line with the marking
gauge 9.5mm along the
end and sides of the
square end.
Splinters from handling timber
Slip on floor, pinched fingers, cut
thumb
Slip on floor, pinched fingers, cut
thumb
Slip on floor. Pinched, sanded, or
burned fingers or thumbs, dust
inhalation, flying debris.
Spiked by marking gauge. Skinned
knuckles through impact with
timber or bench.
5 Inspect timber for raised 6
fibres/splinters. Sand or plane
lightly to remove them.
5 Ensure floor is free of timber 6
scraps, waste, dust, etc. Stand
with front foot facing forward
close to the bench, legs
comfortably apart, and back
foot parallel with bench.
Secure bench hook in the vice.
Hold timber firmly against
rest on bench hook. Hold saw
firmly with a pistol grip. After
slowly starting cut, move
thumb up above the teeth on
the side of the saw blade.
5 Repeat above steps. If timber 6
cannot be held by hand,
secure it to the bench hook
using a clamp.
4 Ensure that floor is clean and 5
clear, and that no one else is
in the workspace. Hold timber
flat on correct side of sanding
bench. Use sliding fence, and
where possible both hands.
Keep fingers minimum 50mm
back from sander. Sand
timber gently and evenly, for
no more than a few seconds
at a time. Ensure that
extraction fan is on and
suction piece is correctly
adjusted. Wear a safety mask.
5 Hold marking gauge securely 6
and operate away from your
body where possible. Only
apply moderate pressure on
gauge, and ease before end of
the line.
6. Using a bench hook to
support the timber, using
your thumb as a guide,
cutting on the waste side
of the line, cut down to
the line on the edge of the
timber.
7. Progressively from the top
of the timber face, initially
use a mallet and chisel to
remove the waste. When
down to the last couple of
millimetres of waste, use
the chisel to pare the
remaining timber.
Slip on floor, pinched fingers, cut
thumb
Hit hand with mallet, cut hand or
body with the chisel. Flying chips.
5 Clean floor, correct stance, 6
secured bench hook, timber
and saw firmly held, and
thumb position moved as
detailed above in Step 2.
4 Progressively remove timber 5
in small even amounts. Keep
eyes on the material to be
removed and the end of the
chisel. Keep hand at least
10mm down from end of the
chisel handle. Always chisel
away from hands and body.
Use safety glasses when
chiseling.

Having completed an SWMS and established the controls to assign to the steps of a
procedure, you may choose to develop a Safe Operating Procedure document perhaps in the
form of a poster to be displayed near a piece of equipment. These can serve as a reminder or
prompt for safe work. WorkCover NSW provides brief information about SOPs and their
development as a part of an assessment tool for businesses.
The creation and display of SOPs is more frequently becoming part of demonstrated
responses to the DEC or other employers WHS policy. Many sample SOPs relevant to the
Industrial and Agricultural Technology specialisations that you could use and/or re-develop
are available from the Queensland Department of Education.
Having provided this overview of some of the processes used to help us work safely, you
should now be in a position to plan safe work in a range of technology teaching
environments.